Brilliantly crafted, shockingly captivating, a must see

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2007)

28 Days Later has gone down in the United States a pure work of art and genius craftsmanship. Anytime I ask a person what is their favorite horror or thriller film, 28 Days Later pops up 9 times out of 10. For the past five years I have heard almost entirely positive reviews of the film but never managed to watch it. I wanted too but had trouble finding any time to do so. Finally it appeared on HBO and I was able to view it for the first time and I must say I am very impressed with the film 28 Days Later. After a first view I was no longer questioning why people found this film to be such a good member of the horror genre.
The film begins with a virus known simply as Rage is released accidentally by a group of animal rights activist who think they are freeing harmless monkeys from a research lab. 28 days later, a man by the name of Jim awakens in a deserted hospital after being in a coma. He wanders out of the hospital to find that all of London is quiet and still. There is not a soul out. Through his wondering he is attacked by infected humans who seek to kill him. Jim is picked up by a woman named Selena who along with a few others attempt to survive the Rage infested United Kingdom and hold out some hope that somehow they will survive.
Cillian Murphy has been making quite a name for himself as of late with such films as Batman Begins and Red Eye. He has shown extreme talent and a knack for playing villains but in 28 Days Later Jim stars as the protagonist. Murphy gives a solid performance. He seems well relaxed and suited for the rule and really shows off the fear his character is experiencing during the movie. This was no doubt a role that got him on the fast track toward success in mainstream films. Murphy overall gave a solid performance though there really wasn't much to it beside looking scared and confused most of the time. Nevertheless solid performance.
In support is the beautiful Naomie Harris as Jim's companion Selena. Selena is difficult character to portray considering her complexity. She has more of a background then Jim which makes it even harder for Naomie to portray the character when their is more complexity. However, Naomie is quite strong and talented and does great in support, she also is something to look at in this overall dark film. Harris' performance is stronger then Murphy's simply because Harris had to act more, plain and simple, She is the force behind the acting in the film and I would not mind seeing her in more films.
What makes horror films is the tone and setting of the film. One of the largest cities in the European Union hardly seems like a place to focus on for a horror/thriller film. However the tone is set in the opening shot of a deserted and abandoned London, England. Not a single person is on the street and you can't help but sit there and think "My God!" It is shocking and scary just to see a city utterly deserted. The tone for the film works perfectly and helps set the stage for the story in the film. Kudos to Mr. Boyle and his crew.
Another thing that 28 Days Later does so well is the mysteriousness behind the infected. They are 'seen' numerous times throughout the film but usually very quickly for only a few seconds or in the dark for longer. This adds to the overall scariness to the infected. They are constantly hiding and can strike at any moment. This adds to the shock that many thriller and horror films fail to capture. Infected can come out at almost any moment and attack and most of the time the audience is shocked and frightened by it. I overall enjoyed the frightening moments and the dark lighting and couldn't help but feel a bit freaked out afterwards though that is not a bad thing, that is what a horror film should do to a viewer.
The film is very dark and filled with violence and gore, some rough language and nudity. Definitely try to avoid letting kids who aren't yet in high school from seeing this. They will not understand it and will be horrified by what they are presented with on screen. The plot is not too hard to understand, mostly a survivor story and quite a good one at that. One thing viewers must remember is that this film is not meant to be a happy one, it is bleak and does not care much for the sympathy of the audience. You have to adapt to the relatively despairing feeling you will feel when you watch it. You won't feel too happy afterwards but it is a horror film so why should you? Overall the film is quite good, some characters aren't developed well enough but the whole plot and story behind everything makes up for most of it. Genius work by Boyle, a masterpiece of British film making.
4/5 Stars